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Compute

Updated Sep 21, 2020 ·

Compute Engine​

With Compute Engine, you control CPU, memory, and configuration, perfect for apps needing specific hardware.

  • Run custom virtual machines
  • Choose CPU, memory, and storage

This is useful when applications require very specific hardware or system configurations. Compute Engine has three machine types:

  • General Type: Balanced CPU and memory

  • Memory-optimized: More memory for data-heavy apps

  • Compute-optimized: More CPU for compute-intensive tasks

App Engine​

With App Engine, you just deploy code, and GCP handles scaling and infrastructure.

  • Deploy apps without managing servers
  • Automatically scale based on traffic

This is useful when developers want to focus on building applications while leaving infrastructure management to GCP.

Cloud Functions​

Cloud Functions is made for single-purpose tasks that only run when triggered.

  • Runs only on events like file upload
  • Costs less because you pay per request

This makes it efficient for apps that don’t run continuously but still need fast execution.

A common use of Cloud Functions is to react when something is added to Cloud Storage. For example, it can make image thumbnails or check the tone of a text file. Other uses include:

  • Transforming data before loading it into BigQuery
  • Creating webhooks for third-party tools like GitHub
  • Using ML APIs to analyze data from a database or storage bucket

GCP Kubernetes Engine (GKE)​

GCP Kubernetes Engine (GKE) provides a fully-managed service for deploying and scaling containers. GKE can automatically adjust resources based on demand.

  • Increases container instances during high demand
  • Reduces containers when demand drops
  • Enables container-to-container communication for workflow updates

Anthos​

Anthos helps manage applications across clouds and on-premises in a consistent way. It also aids in modernizing legacy apps by moving them to containers.

  • Provides unified deployment and management
  • Works across GCP, other clouds, and on-premises
  • Supports container-based modernization of older applications

Anthos ensures consistent operations, simplifies management, and reduces risks when running applications across multiple environments.